


The End is Only the Beginning...

by JadeAngelWings



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, Eventual Romance, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, It starts fluffy but oh no, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Parental Issues, Romantic Fluff, Social Anxiety, it'll get angsty and fun soon, no
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-10-29 09:16:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10850976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeAngelWings/pseuds/JadeAngelWings
Summary: How would the story have continued if Seven's route wasn't the end? Follow Naeun Chun (my MC) and Yoosung Kim as their love blossoms following the renewed RFA party. Will things go as perfectly as the boy could dream? What has become of the hacker that took the sight from his eye?





	1. First Date for First Timers

**Author's Note:**

> Join Naeun and Yoosung on their first date together since that fateful RFA party. Zen tried to give him a few suggestions, but they don't go as well as they should have.
> 
> This is my first time posting my fanfiction for all to read. I hope you all enjoy it, and I'd love some feed back!

Messenger Chat Room:  
Zen: Jaehee, you’re here.  
Jaehee Kang: Hello Zen.  
Jumin Han: Good afternoon.  
Zen: I see the trust fund kid is here as well.  
Zen: *Angry Emote*  
Jumin Han: Don’t make me share more pictures of Elizabeth the 3rd.  
Zen: *Shock emote*  
Zen: Keep that furball away from me!  
Zen: Even pictures make my nose itch!  
Jaehee Kang: *sigh emote*  
Jaehee Kang: Anyways…  
Jaehee Kang: It seems that neither Yoosung nor Naeun have logged in recently.  
Jumin Han: They have been absent more often since after the party.  
Jaehee Kang: *shock emote*  
Jaehee Kang: You don’t think something happened, do you?  
707: *Hello emote*  
Jaehee Kang: Seven, you’re here as well.  
Zen: Don’t worry, they’re all right.  
Zen: Yoosung called me recently.  
Zen: He’s just been busy with school  
Jumin Han: Then what about Naeun?  
Zen: *heart emote*  
Zen: They’re going on a date.  
707: *Heart eye emote*  
707: A DATE?!  
Jaehee Kang: A date? Is it safe enough?  
Jumin Han: At least he is following proper courting procedures.  
Zen: *Disgust emote*  
Zen: Do you have to sound like such a robot?  
707: Ya. They’re safe.  
707: Hasn’t been any sign of the hacker recently  
707: I’m keeping an eye on Rika’s apartment still  
707: I owe Yoosung that at least  
Jaehee Kang: He seems to have adapted well to having sight only in his right eye.  
Jumin Han: It’s going to take some time  
Jumin Han: But the ophthalmologist is conducting research  
Jumin Han: And when he is satisfied, he will operate on Yoosung to restore sight.  
707: That’s good to hear.  
Zen: Yea it is.  
707: So…..Zen…  
707: <3 Where are the lovebirds going on their date? <3  
707: *heart Emote*  
Zen: Dude, relax. It’s their first date.  
Zen: I think Yoosung said they were going to meet for ice cream  
Jumin Han: It would be more proper if he picked her up  
Jumin Han: But considering the apartments location is still secret  
Jumin Han: Meeting up is the next best thing  
707: Ya, still gotta be secret  
707: Naeun is still safer at Rika’s than if she were to go back to her own home.  
707: I can keep an eye on her and monitor things.  
Jaehee Kang: With how she was pulled into everything, she could have been targeted at her home.  
707: Ya.  
707: Exactly my thought.  
Zen: Do you know where her home is, Seven?  
707: *sparkle eye emote*  
707: Of course I do. Had to make sure she was safe.  
707: I know a lot about her.  
Zen: Eh?!  
Zen: *shock emote*  
Zen: LIKE WHAT?  
Jaehee Kang: I believe it would be completely inappropriate to reveal that information without Naeun’s consent.  
Jumin Han: I agree.  
Zen: C’mon, aren’t you guys curious?  
Jaehee Kang: I admit I am, but it is not my place.  
707: It’s a secret.  
707: I will not reveal it.  
707: Even under penalty of death!  
707: Seven Zero Seven!  
707: Defender of Secrets!  
Zen: *disgust emote*  
Zen: You have enough of your own secrets.  
Zen: I guess holding Naeun’s wouldn’t make much difference.  
Jumin Han: It’s up to her to tell us more about herself.  
Jumin Han: When she is ready.  
Zen: I hope so. I am curious about her.  
Zen: Just who is this mysterious woman who came into our lives?  
Jaehee Kang: Maybe Yoosung will find out more.  
Jaehee Kang: It would make sense, since they are dating.  
Zen: Yoosung! You better tell us everything!

Naeun checked her appearance in a store front window as she waited outside, tucking a loose piece of auburn hair back behind her ear. The weather was still warm during the day, but a bit cooler a night. A long sleeve shirt, a pair of jeans, and some sneakers, along with a shoulder bag were her outfit. Naeun had decided to keep it simple, since she didn’t know exactly what they were doing yet. Her heart was racing a little, though she wasn’t sure why. It wasn’t like it was the first time they were meeting. They had been talking on the phone and in the messenger for weeks now. And they had met at the party.

A faint blush colored her cheeks as she remembered their first encounter, how despite his injury, he had pulled her in close. She smiled at the memory and giggled a little. Yoosung had to stay in the hospital for a few days after that, and didn’t have much internet access. Naeun had visited him for one time, but hospitals made her anxious, even if it was for him. They hadn’t been able to see each other since, due to his school courses and having to make up work. This was their first encounter since the party.

“Naeun!” She turned, her hair swirling around her as the smile on her face grew. There was Yoosung, running towards her with that goofy grin of his, his striped t-shirt and hoodie tied around his waist. The bandage had been removed, and it was only as he got closer that she tried to look for anything different about his eye. It was only when he was a couple feet away that she could tell that his left eye was a cloudier purple than his right. Otherwise, he looked normal. “Well, aren’t you going to say hello?” He grinned.

She blushed, embarrassed, lifting her hand and covering her mouth. “S-sorry, Yoosung. I was just really worried about you and your eye, and I hadn’t seen you recently…” Her voice trailed off. Yoosung smiled at her and reached up, taking her hand in his and intertwining their fingers. He blushed as well, but the smile was genuine as he began to lead them off on a walk.

“It’s ok, I’m fine, really.” He kept her on his right side as they strolled to a local park. “It doesn’t bother me at all, and I’m slowly getting used to it. My right eye just gets tired a lot more quickly now.” He squeezed her hand and leaned a little closer. “It made me really happy when you came to visit me at the hospital.”

“I’m glad.” Naeun smiled back, leaning against his arm and resting her free hand on his bicep. “I wish I could have visited more but….” Again her voice trailed off, this time she cleared her throat and continued. “I’m…just not very comfortable in hospitals. I haven’t had many happy times at one…” Her steps slowed, and Yoosung turned to look at her better. He could see that there was something she wanted to say, but her hazel eyes also shined with tears threatening to form. Immediately he turned and wrapped both arms around her, holding her close, but gently.

“Hey, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to…we have time.” She sniffed audibly against his chest, then leaned back and wiped her eyes. 

“Sorry, here we’re supposed to be having a good time, and I just keep apologizing.” Yoosung smiled at her, brushing a thumb gently against her cheek before leaning in and planting a kiss on her forehead. All the forwardness from the night of the party seemed lost, as the butterflies in both of them emerged. She smiled up at him, her cheeks rosy. “Thanks for understanding.”

“Of course.” Yoosung grinned at her, winking his blind eye at her. He reached out and put his right arm around her shoulders as they started walking again. “I promised you ice cream, didn’t I?”

They walked for a bit longer before coming up to an ice cream stand set up in the park. There was a bit of a line, but that didn’t matter as the two of them talked. Yoosung smiled as Naeun went about picking her flavor. So far so good, he hadn’t messed up yet! Talking to Zen beforehand had really helped his confidence, and he had grown up in the last few weeks.

With ice cream in hand, the pair walked over to a bench to enjoy them together. They both sat in silence, each eating their ice cream in their free hand, their other having their fingers intertwined. Yoosung smiled at Naeun as she took another bite, taking a subtle deep breath himself. “Hey Naeun, can I have a taste of yours?” Naeun smiled, and held her cone out towards him. Heart pounding, Yoosung put his bowl down, reached up and gently took her wrist in his hand and pulled her closer, passing the offered cone and pressing his lips to hers. 

Both of their eyes closed, and everything was still for a moment. Slowly, their lips parted, and they exhaled, still so close to each other. “Tastes sweet…” He opened his eyes a little, smiling at her, slowly leaning in again. 

Splat.

Naeun’s ice cream fell from the cone and hit the ground, splattering against their shoes and legs. Yoosung let go of her wrist, jumping up to try and grab some napkins, and knocking over his own bowl of ice cream in the process. He stood there in silent shock as he stared at two ruined ice creams, and his hopes for a perfect date shattering before his very eyes. His lip quivered slightly, and he turned to Naeun to apologize when she made a sound. Yoosung’s despair turned to confusion, as he look at his girlfriend holding back laughter so hard, her eyes were tearing up.

“Naeun…are…are you laughing at me..?” He looked positively heartbroken as he stood there with a wad of napkins in his hand. Naeun stood up and smiled up at him, still gigging.

“I am….but only because you’re so cute.” She smiled more as he pouted at her, not satisfied with her answer. “Yoosung…don’t worry about the ice cream. I’m not here just for that!” Naeun stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, though he almost reluctantly put his hands on her shoulders.

“But I messed up…” Yoosung’s lips were still pouting, though there were small twitches of a smile trying to form. “I did everything that Zen told me to…”

“Oh ho….that’s where you got that little move from, hm?” Naeun giggled again as Yoosung blushed a little, pursing his lips together tighter. He hadn’t wanted to admit that to her, especially right after it hadn’t gone to plan. “Yoosung, I’m here because I want to be with you, knucklehead. Not because of the ice cream. So just be yourself, ok?” She smiled up at him, and he finally started smiling back down at her. 

However…” Naeun looked at him rather seriously. He looked at her curiously, unsure of what she was about to say, her hand reaching up from his waist and brushing some of his loose blond hair out of his face before resting it on his cheek. A smile played across her lips as she leaned up. “…I did want that second kiss you were going for…” He willingly met her lips, a hand moving from her shoulder to her waist, pulling Naeun closer to him.

Yoosung started giggling against their kiss, and Naeun couldn’t help but start as well, until the both of them were just laughing and hugging each other. After a few moments, and a few strange stares by passersby, they calmed down again, smiling and holding hands. “Well, now that the ice cream idea didn’t work out….what now Yoosung?”

He blushed a little bit, knowing he’d have to tell Zen later about it. “Well….uhm…” Yoosung didn’t have a backup plan, or much of a plan for after the ice cream to begin with. He had always dreamed of dinner, movie, and dessert, but that just didn’t work out. “Oh! You said you liked games, right? There’s an arcade nearby.”

Naeun’s eyes lit up. “I haven’t been to an actual arcade before!” He smiled wider now, the way he always used to in the pictures he would send. She couldn’t help but laugh out loud as he grabbed her by the hand and lead the way. It wasn’t that far, but Naeun convinced Yoosung to slow down at least a little. “You know, Yoosung, there’s one thing I didn’t tell you yet.” He turned towards her, curious as to what she would say. Naeun laughed a little, slightly embarrassed. “I’ve played LOLOL before, but it’s been a few years since I’ve logged in.”

“WHAT?!” Yoosung stopped walking and looked at her, his mouth hanging open slightly. “What was your username? What server did you use? What was your ranking!?”

Naeun laughed aloud, letting the questions come. “You might have heard of healer called AngelEvelyn00…?”

She had expected an excited reaction, but Yoosung surprised her with how wide his eyes grew. Thankfully, he managed to keep his voice under control. “AngelEvelyn00…?! She’s a legend among legends! Even now, she’s still one of the top ranked players ever! Healers still aspire to be as great as her! And….!” He paused and caught his breath as a realization hit him. “…And she’s my girlfriend?!” 

Naeun let him get it out of his system, though she was curious about what he might ask her first. Finally, he settled on one question to start with, taking her by the hand and walking again. “Where did you get the name AngelEvelyn? I’m SuperYoosung…for obvious reasons. But where did Evelyn come from?”

She smiled at him. “Evelyn is my middle name.” Upon the look of confusion from him, Naeun explained. “You might have guessed already, but I’m only half-Korean. My mother was American, and she wanted me to have a name from both countries. So I’m Naeun Evelyn Chun.” The look of confusion and slight blankness in the stare Yoosung gave her surprised her. “Eh? Don’t tell me you thought I was full Korean with my coloring, you knucklehead?!” She pouted her lips at him.

Yoosung scratched the back of his head with embarrassment. “I thought maybe you dyed your hair like me…” He pretended to wince when she punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Naeun Evelyn…it’s beautiful, just like you.” He leaned over and planted a quick kiss on her temple.

“You are so cheesy…” Naeun grinned at him as they crossed into the arcade, where loud noises and music and bright flashing lights took center-stage. “But I like that about you.”

Yoosung grinned at her as he traded in some cash for game tokens, and they started their tour around the game center. From physical games like skeeball and air hockey, to arcade games like Chrono Chaos III and Boulevard Battler 4, they went through them all. They had stopped to count how many tickets they had collected so far from various games, when Naeun spotted some classic style games in the back corner of the arcade. Not many people were back there, or paying attention to them. But one game caught her attention.

“Is that….Toad Jumper?”

Naeun walked to the back, where at least a half dozen or more games stood. Puck Man, Alien Attackers, Meteorites, Block Drop were among the few she spotted right off the bat. She wandered over to the amphibian themed game and smiled, running her fingers over the worn out joystick.

Yoosung came up behind her, stuffing the tickets into his pocket and holding their remaining tokens in his hand. “Yea, these are all original machines. The owner even installed ticket dispensers on them to try and get customers to play them, but most just don’t like them.” He looked over at her, and noticed her hazel eyes glinting. “Did…you want to play it? It’s not an easy game...”

A confident smirk crossed her lips and she kept her eyes on the 8-bit graphics. “Two tokens. That’s all I’ll need.”

Rather doubtful, Yoosung simply shrugged and passed the two tokens over to her. He wasn’t going to argue with her on their first date, and it might be cute to see her have trouble. But such was not the case, as Naeun put the first token into the machine, and the second against the corner of the screen. With practiced skill, she cleared the first part of stage one in moments by bringing the first frog to its lily pad. This continued in rapid succession, and she progressed through the levels to Yoosung’s amazement. 

“Where did you learn how to play like this?” He asked in awe as she passed the 15th level. Naeun had to use the second token at this point to recover the lives lost. She still was smiling, still going up through the levels. 

“I played it a lot when I was younger with my mom. She bought the console version not long after she came to Korea.” The small crowd who were playing the classic games had gathered around her, and her gaze became more focused as her levels increased in difficulty. Finally, on level 24, she used up her last frog life and got a game over. The crowd gave her a short round of applause, and some even patted her on the shoulder, congratulating her on her skill at the game. Naeun blushed, slightly embarrassed but appreciative.

“Naeun, that was awesome!” Yoosung grinned brightly at her, and then pointed downwards. “And look at all the tickets you earned!” Piled at her feet, looping and coiling around, was nearly one thousand tickets that the machine had spit out before it had run out entirely. They grinned and giggled as they crouched down and began to gather the tickets into manageable stacks. The couple played a few more games together to finish off their tokens, before heading to the prize counter.

“Ah, you must be the young lady who was playing Toad Jumper!” The owner smiled as they turned in their stack to the counter machine. He went on to say she had definitely earned all those tickets with how skilled she was. Yoosung reached over and squeezed her hand as Naeun looked embarrassed again with how many people were congratulating her. “So what would you kids like for your prizes?”

There were a lot of options for how many tickets they had. Yoosung nudged Naeun to choose first, and her hazel eyes looked over all the toys. Near the top, there was a plush purple bunny with a bow around its neck. Naeun pointed it out and the owner brought it down for her. It was fairly large, perfect for hugging and squishing, which she did immediately. Yoosung grinned at her and how adorable she was, before looking to see if anything caught his eye with their remaining stack of tickets. 

While he was trying to decide, a group of three young kids came running up, proud of their meager stack of tickets and looking at all the little cheap prizes in the counter. Naeun looked over, and quietly nudged Yoosung to see. The boy looked over at the kids, and smiled, looking up at Naeun and catching her meaning. He called the owner over, and whispered something to him. Then he took Naeun by the hand, and they both stifled giggles as the kids were told of the donation of tickets, the purple bunny stored in Naeun’s shoulder bag.

Hand in hand, they walked down the sidewalk together. “Those kids were so happy! That felt good to do!”

Yoosung smiled back at her. “Yea! I didn’t really see anything I wanted, so that was a great idea. They will enjoy everything a lot more.” He slowed their walk as they passed a coffee shop, and grinned. “Are you a bit hungry? It’s a bit chilly, so we could sit down and have some coffee and snacks if you want.” Naeun nodded, and the pair walked inside hand in hand.

While Yoosung made the order for then, Naeun found them a seat at a table in the back, away from the door and the chilly air. She reached into her bag and pulled out the prize bunny, which had been half hanging out of it due to its size. The girl gave it a happy squeeze in her arms, burying a smile into the back of its fuzzy head. Yoosung came over with a tray holding two steaming mugs, and two pieces of cake. Naeun went to put the plush back into her bag, but he motioned for her to wait a moment.

“H-hold on! If you’ll let me…can I take a picture of you with the bunny? You just … look so cute.” He blushed as he pulled out his cell phone, smiling a bit nervously. Naeun blushed, but smiled and obliged him, squishing the animal in a hug again. There was a flash from his phone, and he smiled brightly before turning the screen around to show her. “You’re so cute!” He sat down next to her at their table, placing the mug and cake off their tray in front of her. 

Naeun picked up the mug and gently blew on it to cool it just a bit more, before taking a sip. “It’s good!” She smiled, and leaned over to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. “Maybe next time, you can make me a cup yourself, like you promised?”

Yoosung blushed brightly, glad that the dimmer lighting helped to hide it a little, as he smiled at her. He was really happy that she had remembered that. For a little bit, they just sat in happy silence and sharing bites of cake in between sips of coffee. Finishing off her coffee, Naeun leaned up against Yoosung, and sighed heavily, happily. “Yoosung, do you want to know why I quit playing LOLOL years ago…?” He paused in sipping his coffee, turning his head down towards her, showing his interest without having to vocalize it. She took in a slow breath, and her voice and eyes dropped a little. “…it hurts to be a healer, when you can’t heal the one person who needs it the most…”

Naeun sat up and leaned forward against the table, looking forward out to the rest of the café, though not at anything in particular. Yoosung followed suit, but his good eye was locked on her face, and he reached out to her hand on the table, intertwining their fingers together. She smiled a little and there was a small laugh that escaped through her nose, but he could see moisture building on her eyes.

“My mom…was sick. For a very long time. It was manageable in the beginning, but as the years went on, she kept getting worse, and weaker. I dropped out of school just to take care of her. I didn’t have to work, and I didn’t have school, so I just spent my time playing LOLOL when she had to stay in the hospital.” She paused to take a breath, brushing away a tear that threatened to form before she could stop it. Yoosung gave her hand a squeeze, and she turned and smiled slightly at him.

“She passed away a few years ago in the hospital unexpectedly, when I was visiting her. The nurses and alarms were going crazy…” Her voice caught in her throat, and it took a few minutes for her to speak again. Yoosung let go of her hand only to be able to wrap it around her shoulders and hold her close. Now it made sense why she had an aversion to hospitals. “Afterwards, I couldn’t log in anymore. I wasn’t really living after that. Just…existing. She was everything I had in the world, and then suddenly I was alone.”

Yoosung didn’t want to interrupt, but he felt compelled to ask a question. “…what about your father…?” he asked softly. He regretted it when he felt her tense up in his arms.

“My father…he’s not a part of my life. Never has been.” She relaxed after a moment, and leaned into his arms a bit more. “This might sound a bit odd…but I’m a bit thankful to that hacker.”

This took Yoosung by surprise. “What? Why? He tried to blow you up in the apartment! He attacked Seven and I!” Naeun immediately sat up and turned, looking him in the eye and taking his hands in her.

“No no, I hate him for that, and I’ll never forgive him! But…because he hacked into my phone, I started living again! I was able to meet everyone and join the RFA…and now I’m here with you. And you’ve made me smile more than I have in years, just in one night.” She used her grip on his hands to pull him closer until their foreheads touched. “…I was able to smile at Mom’s memory because of you…”

“Naeun…” He tilted his head up, kissing her on her forehead before looking into her hazel eyes again. “I promise, I’ll keep you smiling. And I won’t let anything happen to you. I will always be there to protect you.” They kept looking into each other’s eyes, until they both started giggling softly. “…that was a bit cringe worthy, wasn’t it?”

“Yea it was…” Naeun smiled, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “But I enjoyed every bit of it.” Hand in hand, they cleaned up the items from their table and brought them back up to the counter, before stepping out of the door.

The air had grown cool and a bit breezy, but Yoosung managed to flag down a taxi fairly quickly, and they both climbed inside. “I wish I could drop you off first…I hate that you still have to live in secret…”

Naeun curled up against Yoosung a little, sighing slightly. “I know, but Seven insisted to make sure I was safe. He can’t monitor my house…” The ride wasn’t long, and before they knew it, the taxi had them in front of Yoosung’s door. “I’ll be back in a minute.” She told the driver as they both got out, walking to his door with fingers entwined.

“I really enjoyed tonight, Yoosung.” She smiled up at him as they held hands outside his door, blushing and hesitating, neither wanting to say goodbye. “I can’t wait for our next one!” Her smile was so wide, he couldn’t help but turned a brighter shade of red. Without giving himself a chance to think twice, Yoosung let go of her hands and wrapped one arm around Naeun’s waist, the other behind her shoulders. He kissed her passionately, even as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

After what seemed like forever, they allowed themselves to breathe, though they were still in each other’s arms. “…did…did you want to come inside…?” Yoosung whispered in her ear. Suddenly, he didn’t want to let her go. He didn’t want her to leave.

It was Naeun who made the first move, albeit reluctantly. “I want to…but if I do, I won’t leave.” Maybe someday soon, just a little longer. But for now, she knew better. Some more time, and they would be more comfortable. Slowly, she stepped back, putting space between them again. It felt painfully cold without each other. Yoosung knew she was right, but it didn’t mean he had to like it. “I’ll call you when I get home, okay?”

“You’d better.” He smiled at her, knowing it wouldn’t be the last time he saw her. “Otherwise I’m going to go searching for you.” 

She smiled back, and leaned up to plant a quick kiss on his cheek, walking back to the waiting taxi before he could grab hold of her again. “I know you will, you knucklehead.” She blew him a kiss as she climbed inside, and waved until he was out of sight on his doorstep.

\--Yoosung has entered the chatroom—  
Zen: YOOSUNG!  
Zen: HOW’D IT GO?!  
707: Tell us everything!  
707: *Sparkle eye emote*  
Yoosung: *blush emote*  
Yoosung: *happy emote*  
Zen: Stop with the emojis and tell us what happened!  
Yoosung: She is so perfect…so cute!  
707: Give us the play by play! Did you get ice cream?  
Zen: Yea! Did you use that move I told you?  
707: *question emote*  
707: Move?  
Yoosung: …….  
Yoosung: *crying emote*  
Yoosung: I made her drop her ice cream…..  
Yoosung: *crying emote*  
Zen: *shock emote*  
Zen: *cry emote*  
Zen: Oh my god….  
707: *shock emote*  
707: You messed up right away….  
Yoosung: ….then I dropped my ice cream. T_T  
707: And you made it worse….  
Zen: It was a simple move…  
707: ...straight out of Expert Playboy!  
Yoosung: I wasn’t finished yet!  
Zen: …sorry.  
Yoosung: Anyways  
Yoosung: She was really amused by it  
Yoosung: and just told me to be myself  
Yoosung: And she still kissed me!  
Yoosung: *Cheer emote*  
707: So you found a way to make it work.  
Zen: Not perfect, but I guess it worked for you.  
Yoosung: So, we went to an arcade afterwards  
Yoosung: She loves games!  
Yoosung: And guess what Seven! She used to play LOLOL!  
Yoosung: You’ll never guess who she is!!  
707: Oh? Is she a high ranker?  
Yoosung: Yea she is! Angel Evelyn00!!  
707: *shock emote*  
707: The most legendary of healers?!  
707: Who vanished without a trace?!!  
Zen: …  
Yoosung: I know!  
707: And you’re dating her?!  
Yoosung: I KNOW!!  
Zen: Hey  
Zen: Can we get back to the subject  
Zen: I’m lost otherwise  
707: BUT IT’S ANGELEVELYN00!!  
707: Just typing her name is said to give your party healing items!  
707: She just disappeared without a word!  
Zen: ….  
Yoosung: …She told me why she left…  
707: *shock emote*  
707: Tell me!  
Yoosung: …it’s not my place right now…  
Yoosung: She should tell you guys…  
Zen: …  
707: …Okay…  
707: I want to know. T_T  
707: BUT BACK TO THE STORY  
Zen: Finally  
Yoosung: So we went to the arcade and had a great time!  
Yoosung: She kicked butt at Toad Jumper!  
Yoosung: We got so many tickets!  
Yoosung: SO MANY  
Zen: *anger emote*  
Zen: Get to the point!  
707: Oh, Toad Jumper! Classic.  
Yoosung: She picked out a bunny as a prize  
Yoosung: But we gave the rest of the tickets  
Yoosung: To a bunch of kids  
Yoosung: They were so happy!  
707: Beautiful and charitable  
Zen: *cry emote*  
Zen: How did you get blessed with such an angel?  
Yoosung: *blush emote*  
Yoosung: Oh, I took a picture of her with the bunny!  
707: *shock emote*  
Zen: *shock emote*  
Zen: Show us!  
Yoosung: *send picture*  
707: *heart eyes emote*  
707: SO CUTE!  
Zen: Cute….so jealous!  
Yoosung: Hehe  
Yoosung: I took it while we stopped to have some coffee.  
Yoosung: We talked a lot.  
Yoosung: I wish I could have dropped her off at home first.  
Yoosung: It’s awkward that she dropped me off….  
Yoosung: *cry emote*  
707: I know  
707: but it’s for her own safety.  
Zen: So what happened at the door?  
Zen: Was there a goodnight kiss?!  
Yoosung: *Blush emote*  
Yoosung: Yea there was….  
707: *Heart eye emote*  
Zen: AND?!  
\--Naeun has entered the chatroom—  
Naeun: Hi guys  
Naeun: Oh, you were talking about the date!  
Yoosung: *cry emote*  
Yoosung: You didn’t call me!  
Naeun: Sorry ^ ^;;  
Naeun: I made a quick stop somewhere  
Naeun: Had to get a few things  
Zen: What happened with the kiss?!  
707: *hello emote*  
707: Great Goddess Healer!  
707: You’ve graced us with your presence!  
Naeun: Hi Seven, I see Yoosung told you about my LOLOL days?  
Yoosung: What did you have to get?  
Yoosung: I was getting worried!  
Zen:….please finish the story.  
Zen: you can’t stop in the final act!  
Naeun: Oh!  
Naeun: Yoosung asked me if I wanted to come inside. ^ ^  
707: SO BOLD!  
Yoosung: ….  
Zen: …And did you?  
Naeun: No.  
Yoosung: I kinda wish you had now…it’s quiet.  
Naeun: I told you why I couldn’t~  
707: Oh?  
707: And why couldn’t you?  
Naeun: Because I wouldn’t have left.  
Zen: *shock emote*  
707: *shock emote*  
707: Are…you saying…  
Zen: …that you would have….?  
Yoosung: …What are you guys thinking?  
Naeun: …  
Zen:…nevermind.  
Zen: But it sounds like you two had a very nice date.  
Naeun: We did!  
Naeun: I want to go on another one soon.  
Yoosung: Me too!  
Yoosung: *smile emote*  
Yoosung: Oh, what did you have to pick up?  
Naeun: I stopped back at my house  
707: Eh?  
707: Was everything okay?!  
Yoosung: *shock emote*  
Yoosung: I thought it wasn’t safe for you to go there!?  
707: Not to STAY there  
707: As long as she wasn’t there long, I think she was alright.  
Zen: You should have let us know at least!  
Zen: At least Yoosung!  
Naeun: I’m sorry…it was just a quick trip.  
Naeun: I wanted to get my laptop and a couple other things  
707: Laptop?  
Yoosung: Oh, makes sense.  
Yoosung: you can’t go on any of Rika’s equipment, right?  
707: Yep, classified. I would know.  
Naeun: Well, yes, that.  
Naeun: But my LOLOL game is on my laptop  
Yoosung: *shock emote*  
Yoosung: But, I thought you didn’t play anymore!  
707: Wait, ANGELEVELYN00 IS COMING BACK?!  
Zen:….  
Zen: And I’m forgotten again…  
Naeun: Sorry Zen. ^ ^;  
Zen: It’s alright, I need to get to bed anyways.  
Zen: Have to take care of my beautiful skin  
Zen: With plenty of rest!  
Yoosung: …here he goes again.  
Zen: you should go to bed too, pretty lady~  
Naeun:….Nah.  
Naeun: I need to shake the rust off my avatar.  
Yoosung: Yes! I don’t have class tomorrow!  
Yoosung: We can rage all night!  
Zen: …  
Zen: Alright, you guys go play, I’m going to bed.  
707: Night Zen!  
Naeun: Goodnight!  
Yoosung: Later!  
\--Zen has left the chatroom--  
707: Hold on, I’m going to log in too!  
707: HackerGod is joining!  
707: I’m not missing a chance to play with a legend!  
\--707 has left the chatroom--  
Yoosung: You are really going to play again?  
Yoosung: I thought you didn’t want to because of…  
Naeun: Well…it’s still a bit upsetting  
Naeun: but I thought it was something we could do together  
Naeun: even if we weren’t in the same place  
Naeun: *send picture: selfie wearing cat-eat headphones, with the bunny next to her on the bed in pjs*  
Yoosung: *blush emote*  
Yoosung: So cute….  
Yoosung: I just wanna hug you all over again!  
Yoosung: and kiss you!  
Naeun: Oh, I’m logged in!  
Naeun: …so many messages…o o;  
Yoosung: Oh, let me get in too!  
Yoosung: Then I can invite you to the guild!  
Naeun:…and Seven has already friend requested me.  
Naeun: LOL  
Yoosung: NO! T_T  
Yoosung: I wanted to first! I’m leaving to log in now!  
Yoosung: We can chat in game!  
Naeun: Okay, see you soon!  
Naeun: Love you!  
\--Naeun has left the chatroom--  
Yoosung: *blush emote*  
Yoosung: Love you too!  
\--Yoosung has left the chatroom—  
Sign and exit


	2. The Second Party - A Chance Encounter? Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So, this chapter, if I were to leave it in it's original format, would be super super long. So I decided to split it, in order to post half of it now, so I can work on the second half afterwards. So thank you for reading, and comments and love are appreciated!

\--Naeun has entered the chatroom—

> Yoosung: Naeun! Hi Hun!  
>  Zen: Welcome Princess!  
>  Yoosung: P-princess?!  
>  Yoosung: *Anger emote*  
>  Yoosung: You can’t call her that!  
>  Zen: Why not?  
>  Zen: She is like the princess of the RFA.  
>  707: And we are her knights!  
>  Yoosung: You can’t be her knight!  
>  707: Aww, why not Yoosungie?  
>  Yoosung: Because I’m her knight!  
>  Naeun: Actually…Yoosung?  
>  Naeun: I’d rather you be my Prince Charming…  
>  Yoosung: Eh?  
>  Yoosung: *blush emote*  
>  Yoosung: o-o-okay….  
>  Jaehee Kang: If you all are quite finished…  
>  Yoosung: Sorry Jaehee  
>  Yoosung: Naeun, are you ready for the party today?  
>  Jumin Han: It is your second one  
>  Jumin Han: So, as I’m sure you know, it will be much larger than the previous one.  
>  Naeun: I am! I’m nervous, but excited.  
>  Jaehee Kang: From the list you sent me, you did a great job as coordinator again.  
>  Jaehee Kang: We have nearly one hundred different groups attending!  
>  Jaehee Kang: Many from our last party, but many new ones as well.  
>  Jumin Han: A lot of our previous guests did networking for us  
>  Jumin Han: Word is spreading quickly that we are hosting parties again

\--V has entered the chatroom—

> Jumin Han: V, you’re here.  
>  Zen: V, good to see you!  
>  V: Hello everyone.  
>  V: Are we all ready for the party today?  
>  Jaehee Kang: We are. I am getting ready to head to the location now.  
>  Yoosung: V…you’re going to be there, right?  
>  V: I will see you there for sure, Yoosung.  
>  Yoosung: Good. I’m glad to hear it.  
>  Naeun: I’m looking so forward to this party  
>  Naeun: Hopefully it will be less stressful than the last one.  
>  Zen: I’m sure it will be!  
>  V: Nothing has come up for a few months now, right Luciel?  
>  707: Yep! Everything has been clear on the radar.  
>  707: I’m still monitoring things in the background.  
>  707: Can never be too safe.  
>  Yoosung: If something came up, you would tell us right away, right?  
>  707: Naturally!  
>  Jaehee Kang: I will see you all later then.  
>  Jaehee Kang: I’m going to make sure everything is set at the party site.  
>  Jumin Han: I will meet you there later Assistant Kang.  
>  Naeun: See you tonight Jaehee!  
>  Yoosung: Bye!  
>  Jaehee Kang: See you all then.  
>  \--Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom—  
>  Zen: I should be off as well  
>  Zen: I have to make sure my skin is in perfect shape  
>  Zen: For all those lovelies I’ll be seeing tonight  
>  Zen: *heart emote*  
>  V: Still the same I see, Hyun.  
>  Jumin Han: We should all be getting ready.  
>  Jumin Han: Naeun, are you all set with a ride?  
>  707: I can always pick you up if you need a lift!  
>  Yoosung: ...I think I’d feel safer if she didn’t ride with you, Seven…  
>  707: Hey hey hey…I’d be careful with her!  
>  707: My driving was only off because I was in a hurry!  
>  Naeun: Thank you Seven, but I have a ride already. ^w^  
>  Naeun: I have a regular taxi driver who takes care of me.  
>  Naeun: I’m going to start getting ready myself.  
>  Yoosung: Alright, I can’t wait to see you!  
>  Naeun: Me either!  
>  Naeun: See you soon, everyone!

\--Naeun has left the chatroom—

She closed the messenger app on her phone with a sigh, and leaned back against the bed. Naeun looked awful, and felt even worse. Curse my immune system, she thought to herself. She had been fighting this near fever for a few days now, living off of soup, tea, and cold medicine in a vain attempt to get over it faster. But she didn’t have Zen’s monster healing ability. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Naeun coughed roughly before standing. This wasn’t going to stop her from attending the party, oh no! One way or another, she was going. It was her second party; she couldn’t miss it just because she was sick!

Naeun stood up and ran a hand through her sweat ridden hair. A good hot shower would help, and timing the cold medicine just right would hold off the symptoms long enough to get through the party. Then she could rest, and no one would be any wiser. Her dress hung on the closet doors, a royal blue strapless gown, with block heels to match. She couldn’t remember the last time she dressed up this much. Even the first RFA party wasn’t as grandiose as this one was going to be. There were almost one hundred guests this time. And a bigger venue to hold them all. And she had been in contact with all of them. They all knew her name….

She sat back down hard on the bed. Breathe. Just breathe. She kept reminding herself that, focusing on the texture of the bed linens, the patterns on the walls, the rhythm of her breaths. The thought of seeing such a large crowd was almost overwhelming after so long alone. It’d been a long time since she had suffered a panic attack. Even when the hacker Unknown was messing with the security system of the apartment, when she could have easily been blown to bits by a bomb, it hadn’t triggered. But people, face to face? That was far more intimidating. Yoosung’s arrival at the last party had kept attention drawn away from her, keeping it just to the RFA members. This time, she was expected to be a lot more interactive.

Her breathing normalized, Naeun pushed herself back to her feet, albeit a bit wobbly. I’ll be fine, she thought, Yoosung and the others will be there with me. Determined, she dragged herself over to the bathroom, and turned on a hot steam shower to help her lungs relax.

* * *

“W-what do you mean it isn’t there?!” Naeun paced around the apartment, all dressed up and with her red locks twisted into giant curls. When there wasn’t a call from her taxi driver to pick her up, she called the company to find out what was going on. “I made the reservation over a week ago! I even have a confirmation number!” She sat down hard on the end of the bed, phone in one hand and holding her head in her other. “An hour?! I’m already a half hour late!” She sighed heavily into the receiver. “No…no…I know there isn’t anything else you can do on your end… I’m just going to call for another ride…” She hung up the call with a soft beep, cursing in English under her breath. Her phone started buzzing in her hand. The text messages were starting to come in, mostly Yoosung.

> _Y: Where are you? Are you okay?  
>  N: Issue with cab company. Calling Seven for ride. See you soon._

Seven was probably already at the party, he usually showed up second only to Jaehee. He was the only one she could call at this point; he was the only one who knew the location of the apartment since he still insisted on keeping it secret a while longer. Fanning herself off slightly, she pulled up his number and let it dial.

“Hello! Does the Defender of Justice hear a call from a damsel in distress?”

Naeun couldn’t help but laugh a little back at him. “Yes, this damsel has no chariot to the ball! Can you help?”

“Oooh! Not just a damsel, but the RFA princess! I, Seven Zero Seven, shall arrive post haste to escort her to the ball! I’ll call you back when I’m there, okay?”

“Thank you Seven. See you soon.” She hung up and stood, tossing her phone on the bed. With another cough, Naeun went to the bathroom to fix the makeup she had smeared in her frustration with the taxi company. What had happened? She had never had an issue with them before. Why tonight of all nights, she thought. Before reapplying her lipstick, the girl took a final dose of her cold medicine. She brushed her teeth to get rid of the menthol smell of the stuff, and was just finishing up when her phone started ringing. Pursing her lips together with a pop, she picked up the call.

“Hey, miss damsel! You’re chariot has arrived! Would you like me to come up and escort you?”

Again, Naeun couldn’t help but laugh. She needed it to help her get through the night tonight. “No, I’ll be down in a moment, so I’ll meet you in the lobby.” With a confirmation from the other side, she hung up and put her phone into her purse, grabbing a long wool wrap for her shoulders, and stepping out the door.

Seven was waiting for her near the elevators. He looked as handsome as ever in his white button-down and black and red vest, his wild hair tamed some-what. At least this time he was smiling a lot more than he had at the previous party. His gold eyes widened when Naeun exited the elevator, and he let out a soft whistle. “Never thought I would have a reason to be jealous of Yoosung…” He said with a smile, which drew a smirk from the red-headed woman. 

“Why thank you, Mr. Choi. Shall we?” Naeun extended her arm, and the secret agent took it with an exaggerated bow. He escorted her out to his waiting car, opening the side door like an over the top gentleman, before coming around and getting into the driver’s seat. Rain was starting to fall, gently spattering against the windshield. The two made some small talk as they began to weave through the building traffic to the party site. Seven asked what had happened with the taxi she was supposed to get.

“I really don’t know! I’ve never had a problem with them before, but the one time I really need the ride, and they lost my reservation. I made it a week ago too. “There was silence for a while, and when Naeun turned to look at Seven, he seemed to be concentrating really hard. “…Seven?”

He blinked, coming out of his reprieve. “Hm..? Sorry, I was just thinking of something…” Naeun tilted her head a bit, looking at the hacker curiously. “Don’t worry; I’ll see if I can look into it, seems kind of odd…” He tried to smile at her with his usual spirit, but she still held concern in her eyes, reading the expression he was trying to hide.

“…are you worried it could be…?” Seven’s smile fell away at the sound of her quiet question. “…Yoosung said you were pretty bothered when you went after him before…” There was a creak of leather as his fingers tightened around the steering wheel, knuckles starting to turn white with his grip. Naeun’s next statement remained unspoken on her lips, the tension between them thick. His reaction made her think there was definitely a lot more to the hacker situation than Seven was letting on, but she knew better than to keep pressing him about it.

“It’s….nothing for you to worry about. Just some loose ends I need to tie up. Oh! Speaking of worrying…” He changed emotions quickly, suddenly reaching over to the glove box in front of Naeun while still driving. Skillfully, though not without making the girl nervous, Seven pulled out a small packet of tissues and passed them to her. “Are you sure you’re well enough to go to the party?”

Naeun looked at Seven, slightly shocked as she held the tissues in her hand. He grinned his usual carefree grin at her. “Cameras, remember? You’ve been sick for days, can’t hide the amount of tissues and tea you’ve gone through.”

Her mouth hung open for a moment before she packed the tissues into her small purse next to her phone, a light blush on her cheeks. “I-I’ll be fine. I’ve been taking medicine and resting.” Naeun tucked a loose curl behind her ear as she looked out the window at the rain growing heavier, pulling her wool wrap a bit tighter around her shoulders. Seven glanced sideways at her as he passed another car, the venue within sight. “I just didn’t want to miss my second party. When everyone is there in much better spirits…” She looked to him, almost pleadingly. “Please don’t tell the others, okay? Yoosung would want to send me right home, and Jumin likely would want to send me to the hospital…” Seven couldn’t help but grin a bit at how accurate her plea was.

The sports car took the turn into the VIP parking, pulling in as close to the entrance as Seven could get them as the rain came down. He put the car in park, and put a hand on Naeun’s shoulder as she reached for the door handle. “I understand. But take it easy tonight, okay? Don’t push yourself. If you want to leave early, I don’t mind taking you home.”

Naeun turned and smiled sincerely at the speckled red-head. “Thank you, Luciel. I appreciate it.” She patted his hand with hers, as a knock came to the window on her side. One of Jumin’s body guards was waiting outside with a large umbrella. As a second guard came around to the driver side, Naeun opened the door and stepped out under the cover provided. She smiled at the body guard as he escorted her inside the party venue, Seven just a few paces behind her.

They came into a side room away from the main area where the RFA members and other staff could gather together. There the rest of the group was waiting for her arrival; Jumin, Jaehee, Zen, Yoosung, and V. Yoosung turned when he heard them coming in, and the grin on his face widened into a look of awe upon sighting Naeun. He walked over and leaned down, planting a soft kiss to her cheek, blond hair tickling her skin. “You look beautiful.”

She blushed and smiled up at Yoosung as he took her hand in his, then looked at him curiously. “You’ve gotten taller…” When he looked at her questioningly, she continued. “Yeah! The last time I wore heels this height, I could look you in the eye. You’re definitely taller.”

Jumin walked over then, followed by the rest. “I take it your trip here was fine?” He glanced sideways at Seven, who gave him a mock-insulted look at his driving skills even being questioned.

“Everything was fine Jumin. I just appreciate the ride; otherwise I wouldn’t have made it.” She smiled at Seven, who gave her a thumbs-up, which she returned. “I’m glad to see everyone, and I’m happy to see you are here tonight, V!”

The blue-haired leader smiled back at her from behind his sunglasses. “It’s wonderful to see you too, Naeun. That blue dress suits your complexion wonderfully.” There was a silence, as slow smiles filled everyone’s faces except for Naeun, who looked very confused for a moment.

“V…can you see me? Can you see?!”

He laughed softly before lifting his sunglasses upwards. His right eye, which had been totally blinded before, now was a much brighter blue compared his left that still had a little sight. It was clear and focused, and smiling. “I can. I had surgery on just my worst eye, in case it didn’t go well. But it did, and it’s wonderful to see just how bright the world still can be.” He caught the look in her eye as she turned and looked at Yoosung. “And yes, it does mean that when the time comes, it’s likely Yoosung can have his sight restored as well.”

Naeun leapt forward, hugging V tightly, who was slightly taken aback and lightly patted her shoulder. Then she let go, and hugged Yoosung just as tightly. Jaehee cleared her throat, looking at the clipboard in her hands. “Well, now that you’re here, there have been quite a few guests asking for you, Naeun. It seems you made an impression on them at the last party. P.A.T.S., the Winery owner, the modeling agency, the LOLOL Guild…”

“Well in that case, let’s go see the LOLOL guild members! We can discuss the new expansion that just came out!” Yoosung excitedly grabbed Naeun’s hand and led her off, before Jaehee even had a chance to finish or protest.

They started with the LOLOL Guild and the Guildmaster, who had once again come in his cosplay. The discussion of the new expansions plot didn’t need any spoiler warnings amongst them, as they all had played through the new story, and were all leveling up their characters. Naeun was talking about how she wanted to try Tanking sometime, since she was a Master Healer, when Zen came over and took her gently by the arm, saying that the Modeling Agency was looking for her. Yoosung smiled and waved her off, too engrossed with his guild to rescue her.

Zen held her gracefully with her arm linked in his, leading her over to where many beautiful men and women were waiting. The representative was waiting, and greeted her with a light kiss on both cheeks. Zen then brought up that they were interested in seeing if she wanted to model, with her unique coloring. The two of them combined would an attention grabbing color palate! Their silver and red hair, hazel and ruby eyes! Naeun tried to politely refuse, but the models were rather insistent and convincing, even Zen was on board with it. Jumin then approached the group, which caused the actor to flee as far from the corporate heir as quickly as possible to keep his allergy from acting up. He had just finished discussions with the Cat Hotel owner, after all.

“Ah, here you are Naeun.” He said with a smile, holding out his hand to her. “The Winery owner and his brother from the Cherry farm wanted to speak with us.” The young lady took his hand with a smile, glancing back at Zen who was cursing Jumin under his breath, while simultaneously trying not to sneeze. The two of them walked over to where both rosy cheeked men stood; one from the sun, the other from sampling too much of his product.

It seemed that they had combined their skills, and had created a sweet cherry wine that had come to fruition in time for the second party. A server with bright green eyes came over with a tray of glasses holding the dark red liquid, smiling at Naeun as they each took a glass. She hesitated taking a sip at first, not only because of her cold and the medicine, but that the server seemed to look at her for a little more than was comfortable, before he turned away to return to the kitchens. Before she could contemplate it more, Jumin nudged her gently on the arm to get her attention. They were waiting for her to join them in a toast to the RFA and the renewed party, and she muttered a quick apology as they clinked their glasses together. The wine was exceptionally, almost too sweet, as she took some large sips from it. Naeun mentioned how it would make a wonderful dessert wine with a bitter chocolate, or even a salty treat. 

Jumin began discussing a possible investment with the two brothers, when a hand tapped Naeun lightly on the shoulder. She turned to look, making her head spin a little in the process, and smiled at Seven as he smiled back. He silently and gently lead her away from the corporate heir towards a quiet corner where V’s photography was on display for the auction shortly. “How’re you feeling?” he asked, gently taking the near-empty wine glass out of her hand and putting it down on a table.

“A little light-headed at the moment, but I think I’m alright…” She smiled softly at him, reaching into her purse and pulling out the small packet with the cold medicine in it. As soon as Seven saw it, he stopped her hand.

“Don’t. You’ve had some…rather potent wine. I wouldn’t suggest mixing it…” He said, when she gave him a look. Naeun paused for a moment, then put the medicine away. He was right, of course. But she couldn’t be sure now if the light-headedness was from her cold, or the wine. Or both. The hacker picked up a pitcher of water from the table he put her glass of wine on, and poured some, handing it to her. “Drink at least this, okay? And it’s quiet over here, try and relax a little.” He really was concerned about it, and the thought made Naeun smile. Seven caught the smile, and blushed a little as he turned away. “J-just remember, if you want to leave early, just let me know. I’m going to get back to the crowd.”

Naeun smiled and nodded over her glass of water as she sipped it slowly. Seven gave one more glance back at her before heading toward Yoosung and the other games he was with. The party coordinator watched the crowd for a while, enjoying the brief respite to herself. Socializing was taking a lot out of her, and only now did Naeun feel how tired she was becoming.

Having finished her water, she put the glass down, and began to look through the small gallery that was set up of V’s photographs. There were mainly sceneries and natural, and a few portraits scattered amongst them. Naeun was admiring the landscapes, smiling softly at a memory they brought up.

“Does anything catch your eye?”

The girl jumped at V's gentle but sudden voice behind her. He put his hands up apologetically, the guilt evident on his face. “I'm sorry, Naeun. I didn't mean to startle you.” Naeun waved him off with a strained smile, her other hand held lightly to her chest as she tried to calm her racing heart. V waited patiently as she caught her breath, and eventually smiled back at him.

“I'm alright, no worries.” She said, going back over and picking up her wine that Seven had left on the table, finishing off the last swig to calm her nerves. Letting out a small sigh, Naeun returned smiling to V. “You just surprised me a bit, that's all.”

“My apologies again.” V said, with that ever bright smile of his. She couldn't help but smile more; it was infectious. “You seemed to be enjoying my photography. Is there anything in particular you like?”

They started to walk through the small gallery that was set up, pausing and admiring the photos. “Well...I tend to be drawn to the landscapes. My mother was a painter of them.” Naeun glanced up towards V, and when his eyes encouraged her to continue, she took comfort in it.

He didn't want to press her, but the RFA knew so little about their new coordinator. And if Luciel and Yoosung knew anything more, they hadn't shared it yet. So the fact she was opening up to him, considering his role in the first couple weeks of her becoming a member, was a relief to him.

“She would paint mostly landscapes, but she would use references. Photos and such. But she'd use so many for one painting. If a certain aspects of a photo spoke to her, she'd use it. And her art just...conveyed a message, if you could read it.” Naeun suddenly stopped talking, looking a bit embarrassed at V. “Sorry...I just felt something similar from your photos…”

V reached out and patted Naeun gently on the shoulder. “No need to apologize. That's what I want my photos to do. To tell a message. That's what art is.”

“Precisely!”

Both members turned to see a man and his wife had joined them in viewing the gallery. He was older, maybe about his mid-60s, with grey streaked hair and a matching salt & pepper mustache and unusually light eyes. The woman seemed to be of a similar age, dark brown hair pulled up into a tight bun, which only accentuated the sharpness of her facial features.

“Mr. Park! How wonderful to see you and your lovely wife again!” V grinned, reaching out and taking hold of the offered hand and shaking it firmly. Letting go, the photographer put his hand behind Naeun’s back. “Naeun, this is Jeong-su Park, and his wife, Mari. They help promote up and coming artists from all over the world.” He then turned to the couple. “This is Naeun Chun, our event coordinator.”

Jeong-su reached over and lightly shook Naeun's hand, followed by his wife Mari. “It's a pleasure to meet you.” She said, but something was at the back of her mind. His name seemed familiar, but she brushed it off. After all, she likely saw it in the emails for the party invitation.

Jeong-su seemed like a fairly nice man, a broad smile and bright eyes. Mari, on the other hand, left Naeun feeling uneasy. The woman seemed to be giving the girl a side-eyed look that could kill while the men spoke about V’s potential return to the art scene. Naeun tried to pay more attention to the conversation, but Mari’s soft, yet very stern voice chimed in.

“ I personally find it wonderful to have a native artist coming back. I keep telling Jeong-su that he's sponsoring too many foreigns; that he should be promoting more Korean artists.”

The observation stung Naeun almost like a slap across the face. It was said with intention to insult, and the awkward silence that followed told her it was noticed by all. It was thankfully short-lived, broken by a throat clearing cough from Jeong-su. V patted her back gently, seemingly picking up on the tension she was feeling.

“Perhaps a toast then,” Jeong-su said, diverting the subject, “in honor of V's eventual return to the artist scene.” he lifted his hand and signaled to a server off to the side. It was the same one as before with the green eyes that brought over the cherry wine. This time he had a different red, slightly less sweet than the cherry. Naeun took her offered glass and took a deep sip, trying to ignore the twisting in her stomach and the lingering gaze from the server again. She wished Yoosung was nearby. Sometimes he was a bit over protective of her, but right now it would feel welcome.

Naeun withdrew into herself a little. The server never seemed to be too far from their group for one reason or another. And Mari kept looking in her direction with a very unfriendly gaze. Why those two had set their sights on her made no sense, especially in such a manner. She shuffled her feet uneasily and drank more of her wine. It was a terrible idea, but it was the one thing she could use to distract herself.

“...Miss Naeun.” Her head lifted up at the question, Jeong-su looking to her expectantly. “We...haven't met before, have we?” Naeun blinked her hazel eyes, confused as to where that question came from. Both V and Mari we're looking at her as well, one with kindness and a touch of concern, the other with what almost seemed like disgust. Why? She didn't know this woman at all!

“No, Mr. Park. I'm sure we haven't before...may I ask why you thought we have?” She looked up at him, and couldn't help but manage a tiny smile at the smile on his face. Again, the feeling of knowing his name struck her as odd.

“Oh, it's nothing really. You just seemed very familiar. Perhaps you remind me of someone. I've sponsored many young women artists, maybe you know one of them…” he smiled at her again, and the light color of his eyes almost sparkled in the dimness of the room.

As he turned back to V, the breath seemed to catch in Naeun's throat. She swallowed hard and started to lift her wine glass up again. Her hand was shaking, and she forced another strained breath into her lungs. A glance over towards Mari, who was now hanging slightly off of the arm of her husband. Her dark eyes were sharp and glaring. They were full of hurt...and a lot of anger. Then just the tiniest of cruel smiles crossed her lips.

Oh. Oh no. It couldn't be.

That was why she knew his name…

She looked down into her wine glass, unable to bring the shaking vessel to her lips again for fear of spilling it. She was unable to look up at anyone around her. Her chest was getting tighter, her breath quickening. A hand landed on her shoulder lightly, and she flinched reactively, eyes wide as she turned and looked up at V.

“Naeun...are you alright?” The concern was heavy in his voice, and even Jeong-su seemed worried. Mari appeared so... but the sincerity was missing. “You look quite pale…”

“I...I'm just a little lightheaded…” she liked, trying to keep her voice steady. She put a hand to the side of her forehead. Suddenly she felt like she was on fire, and V's hand almost burned against her skin. “I think the wine has just been a little too strong. I'll just need to clear my head a little. Please...excuse me.”

“Of course…” V said softly, lifting his hand from her and breaking the contact. Naeun bowed her head slightly as she stepped away, turning around and forcing her body to move. She put her half empty glass down on a table as she went by, where it was picked up by the lingering server. A small smile crossed his lips.

Naeun kept her gaze down slightly, and her steps slowly quickened. A bit further, she told herself. Just a bit further, and she'd be able to step outside at the smokers corner. Jaehee looked up from her clipboard as the girl went by, confusion on her face. Just a bit further. She rounded a short corner, and practically burst through the door.

She gasped and gulped down the cool night air, hands gripping the railing. It was a short covered ramp and stair access off to the side of the venue, perfect for those who wanted to step out for a cigarette without being seen. The temperature was almost a shock to her warm skin, making her realize she had been over heating and sweating a little. She just needed time. The rain was coming down hard, the sound on the cover above drowning out a lot of other noise. Just some time and quiet away from people to settle herself down. To process what just hap-

“Young lady, are you alright…?” 

A soft gentleman's voice broke through her mental musings. The scent of cigarette smoke wafted around. Of course there was the chance someone would be out here already. Naeun took a small gulp of air, trying to make her voice stronger than it was. “I-I’m alright. I just needed so-” her voice caught in her throat when she turned to look at the man addressing her. “....M-M-Mr. Lin…..”

The balding man looked at her and recognition filled his eyes. “Miss Naeun!” He reached out towards her, and she stepped away. So it was true. There was no way she could go back inside now. Another step, then two. She had to get away. Away from Mr. Lin. From Jeong-su. From Mari. From the weird server. From everyone. She had to get away.

Mr. Lin was saying something. But she wasn't paying attention anymore. Naeun turned rapidly and took the short couple of stairs in a near bound, hands lifting her dress as she bolted out into the rain as her name was shorted out behind her. She had to run, to get away.

It was too much.


End file.
